Interaction Designer Interview

Ihave completed my master’s program from Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, Denmark (CIID) in 2012 with honors. From earlier on I have been of an inquisitive nature. I was always fascinated by science and arts. I was fortunate to get exposure to design during my stay in Denmark and travels through Europe as an exchange student.

What did you study? How did you end up in such an offbeat, unconventional and cool career?

I completed my bachelor’s degree in Product/Industrial Design in 2011 from Symbiosis International University. The industrial design background lends me the ability to look at micro details of products-human interaction in terms of form, ergonomics and usability along with manufacturing and commercial feasibility. As an Industrial designer I did various industry projects ranging from toy designing, electronic products to High capacity industrial boiler. During this time I found my inclination was towards designing of electronic products and services. It became clear to me that the products do not exist on their own but are a part of a larger system and are increasingly getting networked. Moreover, the success of the product does not only depend upon its physical aspects but also on the users’ experience with the product. This experience is a result of physical and/or digital interactions the user has with the product. This lead me to do my master’s in Interaction Design from Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design.

Tell us about your experience at CIID? How has it influenced you?

The Interaction Design course at CIID broadened my perspective about design to a great extent. It was a pleasure working with brilliant people from various professional and cultural backgrounds. I became sensitive towards technology and social trends. I keep people-centered approach while designing as I believe that a designer’s loyalty finally lies with the user of the product / service and happy users means happy clients. I incorporate the ‘Build – Test – Repeat’ mantra received from CIID by continuously testing the concepts with users and improving them from low fidelity mock-ups to functional prototypes. I am comfortable with all the stages of design process but particularly enjoy the concept generation and prototyping phases.

Brief thoughts about design ?

Design is the field where all other disciplines coalesce. So, as a designer I try to keep up with as many things as possible such as the web, technology, coding, politics, materials, manufacturing industries, history and culture, social issues, religions, food, education, science. As a designer we have to have this broad perspective to be able to connect the dots in different ways so as to develop new patterns that will benefit the society through our design decisions. Design has a power to change a person’s behaviour leading to change in culture and society. That puts a lot of responsibility on our shoulders as we sketch out a future for the mankind.

What are your future plans?

I want to continue to learn and explore and get deeper into interaction design being a practicing designer in the industry, where I would get exposed to various contexts, methodologies and people. Ultimately, to enrich myself as a versatile and empathetic designer to be able deliver highest possible value through design.